Sheet-retaining attachment for printing-presses.



E. A. CLOONAN.

SHEET RETAINING ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTTNG PTTESSES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 12. 1918.

1 302,8 1 Q, Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

,7715' ATTOZM'EYS.

' lUNlTED ETATE PATEN @FFIQE.

EDWARD A. GLOONAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SHEET-RETAINING- ATTACI-IIVIENT FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

soasio.

Application filed September 12, 1918.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD A. CLOONAN, a citizen of the United States of America, a resident of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Retaining Attachments for Printing-Presses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sheet retaining attachments for printing presses, one of the objects being to provide a very simple and inexpensive device of this kind which may be easily and quickly applied to a printing press so as to retain the paper on the platen. Another object is to produce a sheet retaining attachment consisting of a few simple elements easily adjustable relative to the platen so as to properly engage the paper.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention; however, it is to be understood that the invention comprehends changes, variations and modifications which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Figure I is a fragmentary view of a portion of a printing press equipped with a sheet retaining attachment embodying features of this invention.

Fig. II is an enlarged side elevation of the string gripping device.

Fig. III is an enlarged transverse section taken approximately on the line III III, Fig. I, showing the string gripping device.

Fig. IV is a detail view illustrating the slack adjuster to which one end of the string is secured.

To illustrate the manner of attaching the sheet retaining device to a printing press, I have shown a platen A provided with ears B, an oscillatory bar C provided with pivot members D mounted .in the ears B and a pair of gripper arms E adjustablv mounted on the bar 0. These elements may form part of an ordinary printing press, the gripper arms E being ordinarily used to secure large sheets of paper to the platen A.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

Serial no. 253,797.

It will be observed that the arms E may be turned on the axis of pivot members D so as to move toward and away from the platen A. F designates a sheet of paper mounted on the platen and positioned to be engaged by the printing type (not shown).

My improved attachment comprises a string 1 arranged over the platen and adapted to engage the sheet of paper F. If the sheet of paper is provided with a margin line 2, or the like, the string 1 may be used as a guide, or gage, enabling the paper to be properly positioned on the platen. In this event, the sheet of paper provided with the margin line 2, or the like, will be positioned with its margin line adjacent to and parallel with a portion of the string 1.

The attachment also includes a string gripper preferably consisting of a U-shaped sheet metal clip 3 embracing one of the arms E and frictionally engaged with said arm so that it can be adjusted longitudinally thereof, a gripping jaw 4 preferably formed integral with said clip, and a gripping jaw 5 pivotally mounted at 6 so as to cooperate with the jaw 4. A spring 7 (Fig. II) may be used to force the gripping jaw 5 toward the jaw l. Flanges 8, located at opposite sides of the gripping device, are perforated to receive the string 1. The string is gripped by the jaws 4t and 5, and it is guided by the flanges 8.

9 designates a slack adjuster (Figs. I and IV) in the form of a U-shaped sheet metal clip embracing one of the arms E. The slack adjuster is made of spring material and it frictionally engages the arm E. One end of the string 1 is secured to the slack adjuster 9, and the opposite end is fixed to an anchor 10 adjustably mounted on one of the arms E. This anchor 10, like the elements 3 and 9, is a U-shaped sheet metal clip embracing the arm E on which it is mounted.

It will be apparent that the simple elements of my attachment can be easily and quickly applied to the arms E of a printing press, and that the clips 3 and 10 can be readily adjusted to any desired positions on the arms E so as to locate the string 1 in the desired position relative to the platen. The arms E can be adjused toward and away from each other, in a manner well understood in this art, and after all of the preliminary adjustments have been made, the string is firmly pulled through the gripping device so as to tighten the clips 3 and 10 on the arms E, at the same time tightening the string between the gripping device and the anchor 10. Thereafter, the slack adjuster 9 may be shifted on its arm E to tighten the string between the gripping device and the slack adjuster.

The tight portion of the string'extending from the anchor 10 to the gripping device, overlies the sheet of paper F so as to retain the latter on the platen. The attachment is particularly intended to be used as a means for retaining small sheets of paper on the platen, preventing them from sticking to the type and compelling them to follow the platen when the latter moves away from the ty c.

It will also be understood that the attachment may be used as an auxiliary means to cooperate with the ordinary means for securing the sheets of paper to a platen. However, I do not deem it necessary to show or describe the ordinary means for securing the sheets.

I claim:

1. A printing press provided with a platen, arms movable toward and away from said platen, and a sheet retaining attachment comprising a flexible sheet retaining string extending approximately from one of said arms to the other, an anchor securing said string to one of said arms and a slack adjuster whereby the string is tightened and secured to the other arm.

2. A printing press provided with a platen, arms movable toward and away from said platen and a sheet retaining attachment comprising a flexible sheet retaining string extending approximately from one of said arms to the other, an anchor securing said string to one of said arms, a slack adjuster whereby an end portion of said stringis secured to the other arm, and a string gripper securing an intermediate portion of the string to the last mentioned arm.

3. A printing press provided with a platen, arms movable toward and away from said platen, and a sheet retaining attachment comprising a flexible sheet retaining string extending approximately from one of said arms to the other, an anchor whereby said string is adjustably secured to one of said arms, and a string gripper adjustably securing the string to the other arm.

4. A printing press provided with a platen, arms movable toward and away from said platen, and a sheet retaining attachment comprising a flexible sheet retaining, string extending approximately from one of said arms to the other, and adjustable means whereby said string is secured to said arms, said adjustable means including a string-anchor mounted on and adjustable longitudinally of. oneof said armsand a slack adjuster for the string mounted on and adjustable longitudinally of the other arm.

5. A printing press provided with a platen, arms movable toward and away from the platen, and a sheet retaining attachment comprising an anchor mounted on and adjustable longitudinally of one of said arms, a string gripper mounted on and adjustable longitudinally of the other arm, a slackadjuster adjustably mounted on the last mentioned arm, and a flexible sheet retaining string extending from said anchor, through said gripper and thence to said slack adjuster, the end portions of said string being secured to said anchor and slack adjuster and an intermediate portion of the string being adjustably secured by said gripper.

6. A printing press provided with a platen, arms movable toward and away from the platen, and a sheet retaining attachment comprising an anchor embracing and frictionally engaged with one of said arms, so that it can be readily adjusted longitudinally of the arm, a string gripper embracing and frictionallyengaged with the other arm so that it can be readily adjusted longitudinally of'the last mentioned arm, a slack adjuster embracing and frictionally engaged with the last mentioned arm so that it can be readily adjusted longitudinally thereof, and a flexible sheet retaining. string extending from said anchor, through said gripper and thence to said slack adjuster, the end portions of said string being. secured to said anchor and slack adjuster and an intermediate'portion of the string being adjustably secured by said gripper.

7. In a sheet retaining attachment for printing presses, a'flexible sheet retaining string, an anchor for securing one end portion of the string totheprinting press, and a slack adjuster for securing the other end portion of the string to the printing press, said anchor and slack adjusterbeing in the form of clips adapted to be adjustably secured to the-printing press.

8. In a sheet retaining attachment for printing presses a string anchor adapted to be adjustably secured to the printing press, a string gripper also adapted to beadjustably secured to the printing press, and a flexible sheet retaining string. secured to said anchor and adjustably held by said gripper.

9. In a sheet retaining attachment for printing presses, a string anchorad'apted to be adjustably secured to the printing press, a string gripper adapted to be adjustably secured to the printing press, a slack adjuster also adapted to be adjustably securedtothe printing press, and a flexible-sheet retaining stringpassing through said gripper: andhaving its ends secured to said anchor and slack adjuster.

10. In a sheet retaining attachment for a printing press having a platen and a pair of arms movable toward and away from the platen, a string anchor adapted to be adjustably secured to one of said arms, a string gripper adapted to be adjustably secured to the other arm, and a flexible retaining string passing through said gripper and secured to said anchor.

11. In a sheet retaining attachment for printing presses, a string anchor adapted to be adjustably secured to the printing press, a string gripper also adapted to be adjustably secured to the printing press, said string gripper having a pair of gripping jaws and a string guide adjacent to said jaws, and a flexible sheet retaining string secured to said anchor, a portion of said string being arranged in said guide and secured by said 1p in aws. 12 Iii a sheet retaining attachment for a clip, a slack adjuster comprising a U-shaped clip adapted to frictionally engage the last mentioned arm, and a sheet retaining string having its respective ends secured to said anchor and slack adjuster, an intermediate portion of said string being arranged between and adjustably secured by said gripping jaws.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto aflix my signature.

EDWARD A. OLOONAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0. 

